


You're not alone.

by WhatATime



Series: Loneliness Will Never Be an Option [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Batfamily Feels, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Canonical Character Death, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne is Robin, Damian Wayne-centric, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Literary References & Allusions, No editing we die like mne, Random Literary References for the Win, Random comic book references for the win too, Tim Drake is Red Robin, big brother Tim Drake, familial concern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 06:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15624888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatATime/pseuds/WhatATime
Summary: “We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and—in spite of True Romance magazines—we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way.”





	You're not alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! It's been awhile. I've been busy and such. Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> Don't forget to wish Dami a happy birthday!

Tim noticed Damian was looking more tired than usual. He wondered if the boy was sleeping. He wasn’t sure if Damian had nightmares or things like that. He did worry though. The boy needed sleep. Tim understood the hypocrisy since he never slept as much as he should. He went up to Bruce. “Hey, Bruce.”

“Tim.” Bruce was looking at a case.

“So I was wondering…” Tim trailed off.

“Yes?”

“Could I patrol with Damian this week?” Bruce looked up.

“Why?”

“The last case was kind of enjoyable. I just thought it’d be fun. If you don’t--”

“That’s fine, Tim.” Who was Bruce to stand in the way of brotherly bonding? He could see them being a bit nicer to each other. Maybe they were finally adjusting. It had taken long enough, so Bruce hoped they were done with the homicidal stage in their relationship.

“Thanks,” Tim said quickly. He went to find Damian. The boy was drawing in a corner of the cave. “Hey, Damian.” Damian looked up. The bags under his eyes were darker and bigger every time Tim saw them. 

“Drake.”

“We’re patrolling together tonight.”

“Very well. Is that all?”

“Yep.” Tim was still standing there. He was hoping Damian would invite him to sit. Damian seemed to get the hint.

“Would you like to see some of my recent works?” Tim smiled.

“Sure.” He sat down next to Damian. Damian silently showed him drawings of different things. “Have you been sleeping,” Tim asked out of the blue.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to my art.”

“I know. You just look kinda tired.”

“I assure you I am fine.”

“Do you want to skip patrol?”

“You asked to go on patrol to skip it,” Damian asked incredulously.

“Well… yeah.”

“Drake, you’re an idiot.” Tim grinned. “Fine, I will skip patrol.”

“Wanna watch a movie with me?”

“No, Drake. I do not want to watch a movie with you.” Damian was a lot harder to bond with. Especially when in the presence of others. Tim had managed to build a private rapport with him, but it was still hard. 

“We could play a game.”

“No thank you.” Damian’s eyes drooped.

“We could prank Jason.”

“I am fine here.” Damian leaned his head on Tim’s arm. That showed progress, since he used to only touch Tim when he was choking the teenager. 

“Why haven’t you been sleeping?” 

“I don’t know.” Tim knew Damian did, but he didn’t push.

“I can try to help.” Damian yawned.

“Your assistance is not required.” Tim didn’t know where he and Damian stood. He didn’t think Damian did either. Tim heard Damian’s breaths deepen. The boy was sleep. Tim gingerly picked him up and carried Damian to his bed. He made sure no one saw them. He tucked Damian in and left, hoping the boy would be able to sleep.

* * *

 

Tim was sleeping himself when he felt a small lump press against him. He cracked one eye open and saw Damian curled into his chest. He didn’t speak for fear of scaring the boy off. “Drake,” Damian whispered.

“Yes,” Tim said, equally as quiet.

“This is confidential.”

“Of course. Did you have a nightmare?” Damian shifted a bit.

“Al Ghuls don’t have nightmares.”

“Waynes do.” Damian sighed. “Dick says talking about it helps.”

“Talking about a nightmare would include acknowledging the existence of one.”

“It’s okay to have them. We all do.”

“I didn’t have a nightmare.” Tim put an arm under Damian. Damian leaned into his older brother more. Tim noticed Damian smelled… different. He didn’t know why.

* * *

 

Alfred came in the next morning to wake Tim up for school. Damian was still there. He must’ve been wiped out. Tim tried to block him from sight. “Good morning, Alfred.”

“Master Timothy, breakfast will be ready shortly.”

“Okay.” Alfred looked at the lump Tim was failing at obscuring. He sighed and hoped it wasn’t a girl as he walked out. “Damian,” Tim whispered. The boy groaned.

“What?”

“I have to go to school.” Damian rolled over, but he didn’t get out of the bed. “Do you want to go back to your room?” Damian nodded. Tim picked him up and stealthily dropped the boy off in his bed before going to breakfast. 

“Have you seen Master Damian,” Alfred asked Tim as he came in.

“No,” Tim lied. He knew Damian would suffer in silence if he didn’t think he could trust Tim. Alfred nodded and sat down for breakfast.

* * *

 

When Tim came home from school, he went looking for Damian. He found the boy training. “Hey,” Tim greeted.

“Drake,” Damian said with a hit to the practice dummy.

“How was your day?”

“Acceptable. Yours?”

“It was fine. So--”

“I’m not talking to you.” Damian had read Tim’s mind.

“I wasn’t going to ask that.”

“You were,” Damian confirmed.

“Okay, I was, but now I wanted to know if you wanted to patrol together.” Damian put his sword down and walked up to Tim.

“Drake, listen. I no longer hate you. I no longer wish your demise. I will admit that you chatter is not totally intolerable and that your company is… adequate. One thing I will not do is talk to you about ‘feelings.’” Damian used air quotes. “Feelings do not matter therefore I will never in my existence discuss them. If you want to discuss yours with me, I will allow it, but I will not indulge in this particular past time. Okay?” Tim smiled.

“Okay, but nightmares are normal.”

“I do not have them.” Damian went back to training.

* * *

 

While on patrol, Tim kept conversation up. Damian stayed silent. He didn’t even have the energy for his usually quips and insults. He was also more careless than usual. Way too careless. That worried Tim. “Stop worrying,” Damian commanded Tim as they returned to the cave.

“Maybe we should talk to Bruce, he--”

“Talk to Father and I will never speak to you again.” What had Damian so freaked out? Tim held his hands up in surrender.

“Okay, fine.” Damian changed out of his suit and retreated up the stairs to his room. Tim would’ve followed had Jason and Dick not been watching their whole conversation.

“What’s up with Demonbird,” Jason asked. 

“Nothing,” Tim said quickly.

“Is something wrong with Dami,” Dick said.

“No, I just made him mad.”

“What did you do,” Jason asked.

“I… insulted Talia.”

“No you didn’t. Even I’m not stupid enough to do that.”

“What’s really going on,” Dick asked. They both walked closer to Tim. 

“I…” Tim had nothing for this. He already wasn’t the best liar. He was pretty sure Bruce was listening from the computer too. 

“Does this have something to do with you all patrolling together?”

“No? Yes? I don’t know.”

“Damian’s been acting weirdly lately. Do you know anything about that?” They looked at him, expectantly waiting for an answer. Tim didn’t know what lie he could tell. He could say any number of things. Tim was saved by Damian’s returning back down the stairs. Everyone sans Bruce turned to watch him. He quietly went over to the med bay and began going through the drawers. “What’re you looking for, Dami?” 

“Nothing.” Damian didn’t cease his search.

“Can I help?”

“No.” Jason pushed Tim in Damian’s direction. The teen rubbed his arm as he went up to the boy.

“I should be getting back to Blud. Need a ride, Jay?”

“Sure?” Jason and Dick were soon echoes. Tim fell to his knees beside Damian. The boy had procured gauze and alcohol before closing the drawers. He noticed Damian was moving a bit more slowly than usual.

“You okay?” He nodded. “What’s the stuff for?”

“My own use.”

“I’m pretty good with wound care.” Damian rolled his eyes.

“Tt, if you insist, Drake.” He handed Tim the kit and sat down on the gurney. Damian’s eyes darted to Bruce as he slipped his shirt off, revealing a long cut across his back. Tim winced as he wet the gauze with the alcohol. He gently cleaned the area. Before he let Damian go, Tim retrieved numbing cream and slathered it on. The cut had to hurt. He noticed Damian dozing by the time he finished. Damian sat up as soon as he was done and put his shirt back on. He hopped off the gurney and went up the stairs once again. Tim decided not to follow, crowding the boy would do no good.

“What did he need,” Bruce asked.

“He had a cut on his back.”

“How long?”

“15.24 centimeters.”

“Where’d he get it?”

“I didn’t get that far.”

“See that you do.” Tim rolled his eyes as he left up the stairs as Damian had a minute earlier.

* * *

 

Tim wandered around the manor grounds looking for Damian. He saw the boy with a shovel by Bruce’s parents’ graves. He ran over there. “Damian, stop! Do you kno--” He was cut off by sharp kick. He hopped on one leg as Damian put a small, green box into the ground. It was beside the graves luckily. “What’s that?” 

“A gift.” Damian’s eyes were glassy as he covered it with dirt. 

“To whom?” He stood, dusting himself off. 

“Leave me be.” Damian stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked away. Tim followed.

“No, seriously. What’s been with you? You look like crap. Everyone’s just been too scared that you’d attack them if they said anything. They’re worried.” Damian’s bottom lip quivered. He bit down on it hard. “I need an answer.” Tim had gone through so many possibilities as to what could have Damian out of sorts. He couldn’t even come up with a few viable hypotheses for it. The whole situation was quite uncomfortable for him, but he couldn’t deny he worried about the boy. 

“Leave… me… be.” Damian continued walking. Tim refused to just leave him.

“I’ll leave after you give me an answer.” Damian sat under a tree. The older brother sat beside him. “What’s wrong?”

“We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and—in spite of True Romance magazines—we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way.” Had Damian been feeling lonely? Was that was this was all about?

“You’re not alone.”

“I was supposed to be Alexander, she my Olympias.” Tim sifted through his mind of the information. Alexander the Great, perhaps, was who Damian was talking about. The man’s mother was named Olympias, so that must mean he’s talking about Talia and himself. “Men are what their mothers made them. What am I without mine?”

“You’re still you.” Damian shook his head. “You’re not alone either. You have me, Bruce, Dick, Jason, Duke, and even the girls. You have all of us.” Damian was still biting his lip. “You understand that, don’t you?” The boy sighed as he blinked back tears. What was so special about today? Tim had yet to be able to figure that out. “Is today special?” Damian nodded.

“Her birthday.”

“It’s today?” Damian nodded again. Now that Tim remembered, this would be the first one she wasn’t alive for. Tears streamed down Damian’s face, the boy unable to hold them any longer. Tim wrapped him in a gentle embrace, half afraid he’d break the boy. He whispered soft reassurances as they sat in the dreary absence of sunlight.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome. Don't have any idea what to comment? Just slam your head against the keyboard. I'm a writer, so I'll decipher it. 
> 
> Also...  
> Hit me up on Tumblr: https://awanderingballoon.tumblr.com/


End file.
